IMAM COLLEY HELD INCOMMUNICADO FOR 27 DAYS Family Denied Access

Family members of Sheikh Omar Colley said yesterday, 9 November, 2015 that he is still detained at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) headquarters in Banjul. Sheikh Omar Colley is the Imam of a mosque in Jabang-Borehole.

According to family a source they are concerned that they are denied access to their loved one, who he said has spent 27 days as of today without any reason given by the state.

Imam Colley is said to be residing at Jabang Village in the Kombo South District. Sources say that he is also the head of the Brikama-Basse car park in Banjul.

His detention is in contravention of section 19 of the Constitution, that a person should not be detained for more than 72 hours without being released of taken before a court of law,

Family sources say family members have been making and are still making efforts to get access to him occasions but that they have been denied access to see him by the agents they meet at the NIA gate.

Reports have indicated that on 27 October, 2015 his family went to the NIA for second visit to see him but this was unsuccessful.

Imam Colley had on Thursday, 15 October, 2015 received a phone call from someone who claimed to be calling from Bansang Police station who asked him to report to the nearest Police station.

The caller then asked Imam Colley to tell him which police station is nearest to him (Colley) and he mentioned Old Yundum Police Station. Subsequently, he was asked by the caller to report at the Old Yundum Police Station immediately.

The source added that this caller told the imam to call him when he gets to the police station and hand over the phone to the Station Officer (SO) that he (the caller) wants to talk to him. Without hesitation, Colley informed his family members who accompanied him to the police station.

Sources say upon their arrival at the station, Colley called the said caller from Bansang to talk to the police they met there, who later directed him to hand over all his personal belongings such as a mobile phone. He was then apparently put behind bars. He was detained overnight before being picked up by unnamed civilian security agents to the NIA head office in Banjul, on Friday 16 October.

Family members have expressed grave concern about his health as he is hypertensive. They say they want to be taking food, soap, toothpaste and some clothes to him as he has not changed his clothes but they could not access him since his arrest on Thursday, 15 October, 2015.